Rabia Chaudry to be keynote speaker at diversity forum
By Mason Muerhoff | Oct. 24, 2016Attorney, author and podcaster Rabia Chaudry will discuss civil rights, gender and faith as the featured keynote speaker at the UW-Madison Diversity Forum Nov.
Attorney, author and podcaster Rabia Chaudry will discuss civil rights, gender and faith as the featured keynote speaker at the UW-Madison Diversity Forum Nov.
As issues of diversity and inclusion have become increasingly prominent at UW-Madison, many students, faculty and administrators have called for reforms on cam pus.
Colleges Against Cancer began celebrating the start of Breast Fest, a week-long series of events to raise awareness for breast cancer that will occur during the last week of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The organization gathered at Library Mall Monday and shared information about the upcoming Relay for Life event with visitors of their table. UW-Madison senior Allie Lowman, who is the director of sponsorship for CAC, stressed the importance of cancer awareness and promoted the Relay for Life event, which will be held April 7 and 8. “It makes a big campus seem a little bit smaller,” Lowman said.”To see everyone come together for one cause, it’s really meaningful, especially if you know someone who’s struggled with cancer before.” CAC will be holding multiple events this week for Breast Fest that encompass the theme of breast cancer awareness, starting with a breast cancer panel Tuesday, a luminaria ceremony Wednesday and a balloon release Friday.
In an increasingly tight senate race in Wisconsin, Democrat Russ Feingold responded Monday to quotes from Ron Johnson that described him as “phony.” Johnson spoke with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board on Friday, and when asked about his opponent, he stated he does not “respect phoniness.” "Is that really a guy who has traveled around the state and really been part of Wisconsin?" Johnson said of Feingold.
Students began casting their first votes in the 2016 election Monday, as early voting began at two campus locations. Leading the way was UW-Madison men’s basketball star Vitto Brown, who voted today for the first time in Wisconsin. At Union South, Brown urged his fellow Badgers to go out and exercise their right to vote in the upcoming election before registering and casting a vote of his own. “I think it is important for us students to go out and vote because we all have ideas.
Alec Cook, a suspended UW-Madison senior, will be charged Tuesday in a 30-count criminal complaint following sexual assault reports from multiple women last week.
Madison Police Department officers arrested Austin Byrd, 22, for alleged attempted burglary, disorderly conduct and two counts of criminal damage to property after he tried breaking into a State Street apartment Saturday night. The victim, a 22-year-old female, was studying in her apartment when she heard a “pounding” on the door, according to an MPD incident report. “She heard the sound of breaking glass, not just once, but twice,” MPD Public Information Officer Joel DeSpain wrote in the report.
UW-Madison students can vote before Election Day Nov. 8 at two campus locations. The Associated Students of Madison collaborated with UW-Madison to set up early voting and one-stop-registration sites at two campus locations. Students can vote before Nov. 8 at Union South from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, and the Student Activity Center 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day of the week starting Oct. 24 and ending Nov. 4.
Student debt is on the minds of college students across Wisconsin, including those attending technical colleges, who are also seeing rising costs to attend school. UW-Madison associate professor Nicholas Hillman spoke with Wisconsin Public Radio hosts last week to outline the issues facing technical college students when it comes to the price of their degrees. “The average loan, at least with the most recent data, is about $4,700, and that’s for one year of school,” Hillman explained.
UW-Madison undergraduate Selina Armenta has lived in Wisconsin for most of her life, moving with family from Mexico during her childhood.
Former Dean of the UW-Madison College of Engineering, Paul Peercy, passed away Thursday at age 75.
A third victim has come forward to report Alec R. Cook, a UW-Madison senior, of sexual assault. The 20-year-old victim said Cook assaulted her in a downtown apartment in 2015 and MPD detectives will recommend that Cook face additional charges of second-degree sexual assault and false imprisonment, according to a Madison Police Department incident report. The new report came shortly after a second victim came forward to report the suspect of sexually assaulting her last February.
Award-wining author of children and adolescent books, Jacqueline Woodson, talked about her inherent inspiration for becoming a writer as "wanting to see herself in the world" at The Charlotte Zolotow Lecture Thursday. Woodson is known for “Miracle's Boys” and “Brown Girl Dreaming,” which won her the 2014 National Book Award in the young people's literature category.
Alec Cook, 20, who was arrested for alleged sexual assault earlier this week, turned himself into Madison Police officers Thursday night and has been tentatively charged with the sexual assault of a second victim. The second victim, a 20-year-old female, came forward after the initial arrest and told MPD investigators Cook also sexually assaulted her in a downtown apartment last February, according to an updated MPD incident report. "I saw the news story and was empowered by another girl being able to tell what happened to her, that I thought I could now finally tell,” she told a detective, according to the report. The second arrest of Cook's has two counts of second degree sexual assault and one account of third degree sexual assault. Cook’s former fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, announced Thursday night they “separated” from him.
The biennual budget and campus climate are concerns for many students, and Chancellor Rebecca Blank addressed university administration’s efforts on these issues at Wednesday's Associated Students of Madison Student Council meeting.
Changes to UW-Madison’s Academic Calendar were approved by the Faculty Senate, resulting in no exams being held on commencement day, among other small amendments. These changes, taking effect in 2017, coincide with those made last October.
The court date for Alec R. Cook, a UW-Madison senior who was arrested for sexual assault Monday, has been set for Nov. 7.
A UW-Madison student was seriously injured after losing control of their skateboard and hitting a light pole on Observatory Drive.
The Lake Rescue Team, affiliated with Madison Fire Department, was called out to Lake Monona to investigate an eerie situation during the midmorning hours Wednesday. According to a MFD incident report, people fishing and enjoying the unusually warm weather were suspicious when they saw an unattended boat a distance from the shoreline with the motor running for more than 10 minutes. The Lake Rescue Team arrived at the Olin Park boat launch at approximately 9:34 a.m., and proceeded into the water to the neglected boat. “Medic 5 was in the area at the time and also responded to the scene,” Public Information Officer Cynthia Schuster said. “They met an off-duty Madison firefighter who just happened to [have] return[ed] from fishing.” After arriving at the unattended vessel, two other boats cruised over.
Signs that read “God Hates Proud Sinners” and similar phrases, that were held by members of the Westboro Baptist Church, were countered by words such as “Ignore the Haters” by UW-Madison students and community members.